Pridestalker's Missing Link
by KillersEdge
Summary: Having been the first to encounter Gnar's temper, Rengar decides to train the yordle himself. He just doesn't realize what he's gotten himself into.
1. Meeting a Monster

The massive footprint on the crumbled forest floor held a single orange bundle of fur. The sight would have seemed somewhat endearing if you ignored all the destroyed trees and shrubbery that lead to this furball.

Of course, Rengar could believe it. That thing had just been after him and he could feel the weariness in his bones. He didn't know where it came from. Heck, he didn't even know what it was. All he did was throw the things toy one side and it almost became his doom.

He wouldn't try that again, that's for sure.

As he walked back to it, his curiosity heightened, he prodded the body. No reaction, but his ears twitched as he picked up the sound of breathing.

The little monstrosity was asleep.

He could just leave it there, carry on with his life. But as he got a good look at the orange thing he realized it was some kind of yordle. A _child_ at that. He shuddered to think what its parents were to create such a beast.

He removed that image from his mind and started to walk away. At that point his mind was having doubts about leaving a kid for itself in the jungle. Granted, there wouldn't be anything here that could contest _that_ since he'd cleared it basically of every predator worth a challenge.

It didn't change the fact that his mind was defying every fibre of his being by making him walk back to the runt. Stupid kid probably couldn't defend itself anyway.

Unless that other thing showed its face again. Better keep its toy safe for the sake of his life.

…

It was nearing nightfall when the yordle opened his eyes. Rengar had made a small fire for the runt with several fishes all lined up cooking on sticks. That had been what he was trying to catch, might as well make it known that he wasn't attempting suicide via a huge fist again.

To his surprise the thing jumped on his head and started babbling incoherently. It's not that he couldn't understand languages, but the hairball couldn't say _anything_ worth understanding. When it was finally quiet the only thing that could come out of his mouth was a simple:

"What?"

That set the runt off again. This time it jumped off of his head and started making frantic hand gestures. As if it was looking for something. Then it dawned on the Pridestalker: he was looking for his boomerang thing. With a sigh he showed with his paw where the weapon was, right beside where the yordle had been sleeping.

'If he had taken the time to look instead of launch himself at my head he would've seen it,' he thought sarcastically to himself.

Seemingly more calm, the yordle sat down and stared at the not-amused face of Rengar who handed him a fish. He immediately started eating. It was then that Rengar realized: the kid didn't remember _anything_ of what happened. Interestingly enough, the yordle was treating him the same way he did when they met. Slightly curious now, Rengar tried to question him.

"You have a name? As much as I'd just like to call you Runt, I think I have enough decency to accept a name."

The yordle stared with a clueless expression at him.

Growling in exasperation he attempted again, "Name?"

This time to his utter disbelief, the runt actually replied. "Gnar!"

"Gnar?" He doubted the thing actually realized what he said but he accepted it. It was oddly fitting anyway. "Right, Gnar."

Besides, it seemed that was mostly of what his sentences were made of, might as well make us of it.

The kid couldn't understand anything. Asking for anything was totally out of the question as even getting a name was a pain.

But knowing a suitable name could do little to help the kid's "literal talent" so to speak, but Rengar knew one thing. The kid was a hunter. His little weapon was proof of that, aside from him attempting to catch fish at the river. That could just be some way to get food, every living thing does that.

He had a certain respect for those like him, but for a squirt like Gnar to actually know what he's doing at such a young age was raw talent. He could definitely show the hairball a thing or two.

But that would imply that he would have to look after him. Just being in his company for five minutes was a pain, let alone an entire period of time.

And then there was that ridiculous temper that would surely show up again in the future.

Looking again at the yordle he was surprised again for the third time that day when all the fish was gone. So the kid had an appetite. It was honestly not the most bothersome aspect of Gnar but he could deal with it.

"It's the temper I might have trouble dealing with." Rengar spoke out loud with a grumble.

Gnar looked up at him expectantly.

"What? I gave you food. What else could you want?" The feline shrugged and turned away to stare into the forest. The runt slowly approached him, seemingly cautious. Then all of a sudden the wariness was forgotten as Gnar moved against his side, lying down in the process.

"Kid, you've got a perfectly fine fire over there." His words fell on deaf ears as Gnar's incoherent words seemed to get softer. In no time at all the Yordle had fallen, once again, asleep. Rengar sighed to himself.

What had he gotten himself into?

…

The next morning Rengar awoke to huge eyes staring at him. Slightly startled, he shoved the culprit away from his face and sat up. Then he remembered.

"Oh. Right. You."

Gnar jumped excitedly, but his energy served to lower the Pridestalker's mood even more. Feeling a headache coming, he attempted to start on his daily duties such as patrolling the jungle. This may have been a good idea at the time but he had forgotten that he had another thing to deal with.

The simple reminder of Gnar following him around was enough to put him off completely. The worst thing was when he turned to face the kid, Gnar was looking at him as if he _expected_ something out of him. It was only when his stomach growled that he realized what he wanted.

"Fine, whatever. Follow me." Like the kid wasn't doing that in the first place. "Let's see what you can do."

…

It hadn't taken long to find a suitable thing to hunt. Just ahead of them, idly eating on the grass was a deer. It hadn't heard them approach which was a miracle, thanks to Gnar's incessant prattling.

Rengar pointed at the deer and Gnar turned his head slightly in confusion. Or at least Rengar thought it was confusion.

Pointing more violently, trying not to growl in frustration, Gnar seemed to understand and looked at the deer. To his surprise and utter mortification, the yordle walked _right up to_ the deer, instead of being stealthy. He gaped at him for a second, as the deer turned to face him and he sighed, putting his to his face.

Turning around in defeat, Rengar began to stalk back to his den. He should've known the kid was too young for something like this.

"Tch, stupid runt. I don't know why I expected anything else."

But before he could go any further, the yordle called out to him. Turning back around, expecting to see the deer gone and the incompetent fool empty handed, he was greeted with the complete opposite.

Lying down, possibly dead, was the deer and its killer stood proudly next to it.

And for some profound reason, Rengar felt that same pride welling up in his chest as he took in the scene.

…

 **A/N: Something I tried to picture after reading Gnar's lore. Reviews are much appreciated!**

 **Note: These will be short as they're just for fun. Idea's are welcomed!**


	2. Unwanted Company

Several hours after a hearty meal, Gnar had finally fallen asleep and Rengar was well on his way to oblivion as well. The chirps of crickets was all that could be heard in the jungle and the gentle light of the fire illuminated the den. The orange furball that was Gnar muttered even in his sleep, amusing the half asleep Rengar.

"You speak too much kid…"

Once you got used to the amount of noise he made, it got bearable. Somewhat.

Not really.

There were several points of time in the day where he wished he could strangle the yordle, but for some strange reason that same thing in his mind that told him to take Gnar with him held him back too. Oddly enough, having Gnar around made things more interesting, to say in the least. He was bizarre, felt as though he didn't belong in this world. Last he checked, yordles weren't orange. They didn't have strange skulls on their head or little tusk things jutting out of their mouths.

As the thoughts got more jumbled in his mind, and his eyelids began to descend, he heard a voice. One he really wished would leave him alone.

"Hey, kitty cat, you awake?" a feminine voice echoed in his den.

He jolted up and growled a warning but the person didn't seem at all fazed and walked right into his den without his permission. Turning to look, trying to prove his ears wrong and failing, he frowned.

"Go away, you senseless woman. Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?"

"What, no welcoming party?" Nidalee, the Bestial Huntress said, with a smirk on her face. "And here I thought you missed me."

"Tch, leave," Rengar muttered. "Missing you is the last thing on my mind. In fact, until this moment I'd forgotten you existed." This wasn't the first time she had just barged into someone else's home, mainly his. To say he tried to make her leave was an understatement. She was as ferocious as he was beast. In time he began to understand that women could not be moved from their decisions.

"Aw, don't be like that Mr. Hero." She said. "It wouldn't kill you to be nice, you know."

He thanked whatever gods there were that Gnar was behind the fire, away from her eyes and for once was quiet. He couldn't deal with her nonsense right now, about anything and especially Gnar. But wait, what did she just say?

"Mr. Hero? What are you talking about now?" He muttered, rubbing his face in an attempt to move sleep from his mind.

"You don't know?" She replied, confused. "It's the talk of the jungle. Kitty cat, apparently you gave the little critters a chance to live without getting mauled by monsters. Don't get me wrong, I know they're probably just taking it the wrong way, but that's how they feel. Strange, isn't it?" And then she laughed, and he wasn't sure if it was at him or his "fame" with the jungle critters.

"Whatever, attacking the weak is no challenge." He glanced at his trophies. "They were no challenge to me, either." After thinking about what she said, he added, "And don't call me that."

"I knew you'd say that 'Challenge this, challenge that'," Nidalee muttered to herself. "You need to relax and- wait, what was that?"

He knew what she had heard. Gnar had started talking again in his sleep, and his muttering didn't go unnoticed by her keen sense of hearing. She circled the fire, and found the sleeping yordle curled up on his side, oblivious to his surroundings in a deep slumber.

"Oh my!" She crouched to get a better look when a look of complete astonishment came over her face. "Rengar, what are you doing with this thing?"

Before he could answer, she picked the yordle up and looked at his face. In return, Gnar blearily opened his eyes to see the huntress staring at him. He gave a startled yelp, looking around desperately before his eyes landed on Rengar and he slightly calmed down. "He's so adorable!" She squeezed him to her chest. "I would never have pegged you for the fatherly type."

"Why'd you go and wake him up? Now he's never going to shut up," the Pridestalker grumbled, ignoring her comment. True to his word, Gnar pushed off Nidalee and jumped down, scrambling to Rengar. He started his uncontrollable chatter, seemingly complaining about being manhandled by an unfamiliar woman.

"See what you've done? I hope you're happy," groused Rengar as he attempted to shove the yordle away from him to no avail. Gnar hid behind his huge figure, peaking out his side at Nidalee who just seemed to grow warmhearted at the sight.

"Where'd you find him? He doesn't look like he's from here," the huntress curiously asked as she sat down on cold stone floor. "And how he managed to get you to take him. That's an impressive feat. Getting soft, kitty cat?" She grinned at him as he bristled.

"Shut up!" Truthfully, he didn't know how to answer her. He couldn't tell her his instincts told him to take the kid, she'd misunderstand for sure. "I'm training him," he finally said, deciding that would suffice. Unfortunately, Nidalee, being a stubborn woman, wanted more than that bit of information and prodded the hunter further.

"Training? He looks barely old enough to hold a weapon. How're you going to train that?" She crossed her arms and pouted. "And he ran from me when I was obviously no threat."

"It's your ugly mug that scared him off." Rengar gave a bark of laughter at her affronted expression. He continued before she could argue. "He's a hunter already. He just needs to be shown how to do things properly."

"Well, where are his parents?" an expression of shock appeared on her face and he already knew what she assumed. "You didn't…!"

"No, you know I don't attack the weak. He was trying to catch some fish and I made a mistake before some… unfortunate events took place." Hah! Understatement of the century. Getting his skull smashed would be considered a little more than unfortunate.

Her curious expression didn't make him explain further but it seemed she knew better than to ask this time. The less she knew about Gnar's abnormal way of throwing tantrums, the better. Knowing her, she'd probably want to try and make him angry. He had an evil grin in his mind, 'I won't stop her if she tries. She can take care of the monster then. Hopefully he'll bash her to bits.'

Breaking Rengar's train of thought, Gnar, deciding that Nidalee wouldn't grab at him again, jumped in the Pridestalker's lap. He grumpily allowed the yordle, but was a hand away from attempting to push him again. He was stopped by the disapproving glare from Nidalee. "What?"

She made a reproachful sound. "I wonder how the kid even likes you."

"Well for one, I don't grope him."

"I did not! It was just a hug."

"Well, that hug was something to frighten him off like that," Rengar laughed at her guilty expression. "Can't you leave now? He's already falling asleep again." Gnar was indeed dazing off once again and the huntress' expression softened.

Looking back to the less than happy Rengar, she shrugged and stood up from her spot. "I'll be back to see him again," She pointed a finger at him. "And there's nothing you can do to stop me, kitty cat." She strolled out the den, a picture of defiance and determination.

"Don't call me that."

As he was about to put Gnar back by his spot where he was sleeping before, he heard Nidalee's voice call out to him.

"Hey Rengar, I think this kid will be good for you." A pause, before a sigh. "Now you'll know how to live for not just yourself."

Glancing at the sleeping form in his arms, he disregarded her remark.

He didn't need to hear that from her.

He could see it himself.

…

 **A/N: Thank you for the reviews, favourites and follows! And for the Nidalee players, I don't play her much, if at all, so I'm hoping this portrayal pleases you guys c:**


	3. Bullseye!

Rengar watched as Gnar threw his little toy, the tiny boomerang, and caught it with ease as it returned. He watched how the yordle would do this repeatedly, with little to no effort on his part. It was quite obvious that as young as he was, he had mastered the usage of his miniature weapon. It was now just a source of entertainment for the kid, but he didn't seem to mind as his uncontrollable laughter filled the area.

As he was sitting down and watching Gnar, he had the fleeting thought of someone possibly stealing the boomerang. What would the yordle do then? Chills went down his spine as he recalled just _what_ the kid would do.

Rephrasing that, what would the kid do that didn't involve transforming into a monster? If he lost his weapon he was as good as a goner. But that's what Rengar was supposed to prevent, wasn't it? He was supposed to train the kid to be a fine warrior that didn't rely on others for survival- just like his old man taught him.

The first idea he got was that Gnar should be proficient with not only his weapon, but others as a well. The kid didn't look like the type to use a sword, not that he had any lying around, so they would have to make do with what they had- daggers, stones, whatever was useful. That, and the very thought of Gnar holding a sword was ridiculous. It just didn't fit.

"Hey, kid," Rengar called out to the yordle, who immediately focused his attention on the feline, an excited smile forming on his face. Motioning him to come to him, Rengar stood up and headed towards a larger than normal tree.

Gnar watched curiously as the Pridestalker carved out a crude bullseye with his blade onto the tree before observing his handiwork. It was rather high up, considering how small Gnar actually was, but he figured it would test the kid's throwing ability.

"Alright, this should work for you," Rengar said, nodding to the yordle. "Show me what you can do."

Gnar looked at the target, as if studying it, for a few a seconds. Coming to a decision, he pulled his arm back and threw his boomerang with enough force to embed itself in the tree. Unsurprisingly, it hit right in the middle of the bullseye.

Expecting this, Rengar motioned for Gnar to wait where he was before retreating to his den. He emerged several seconds later carrying a few daggers. He never used his own blade for training, preferring to use easily obtainable daggers from bandits that regularly attempted to move through the jungle. Scaring them off usually did the trick, unless they thought they could actually take him on, which usually ended in their demise.

Moving back towards Gnar, he dropped the daggers and crouched to be eye level with the yordle. He put his paw out to take the boomerang, and Gnar hesitantly dropped his weapon. It was better to actually _ask_ for the weapon than to take it, because it worked out _so well_ last time to just take it. He was truly surprised when Gnar dropped it, and with a reluctant pat on the yordle's head, put a dagger in his hand instead.

"Go for it, kid."

Observing the yordle's posture and how he threw the blade, he shook his head. It was no surprise when Gnar was unable to land the dagger near the center, only in the outer rings. Rengar stood up and corrected Gnar's posture, and with another throw, the dagger landed closer. It wasn't much but it was a start. Nodding, Rengar said, "Again."

…

It was two hours before he allowed Gnar to stop, seeing the fatigue in the kid's behaviour, and how his throws became less and less accurate. To be more precise, Rengar had gone out to get food, came back and Gnar was still practicing. It was then that Rengar thought it was enough for one day.

He had improved, but not by much. He had still not been able to hit the middle of the target, but he started correcting his own mistakes after several attempts without Rengar having to tell him repeatedly. He thought it great that the kid was a quick learner with at least some skill and was willing to improve.

Even if he didn't understand a word he was saying.

He would have to work on his stamina as well, the way he was now would just not suffice. There was no way he would survive in a real battle if he was unable to last and be the first to fall from exhaustion. The more drained you are, the more desperate you get and start making mistakes which could very well mean the end of you. It was something Rengar himself had experience with, whether it had been himself or others he had defeated.

It was while he prepared a fire, he heard that familiar annoying voice that made sure he didn't get enough sleep the night before.

"Hey, kitty cat," Nidalee greeted, her trademark smirk showing as she took in the annoyance on Rengar's face.

"Ugh, I was hoping you would stay away for a while again," Rengar muttered, promptly ignoring her and continued creating the fire. She rolled her eyes and strolled towards Gnar who, for some reason, didn't seem to mind her presence now. It was probably because she didn't grab him while he was sleeping again, but rather while he was awake. The yordle settled contentedly in her lap and the two watched Rengar.

"I told you that I would be back to see him. You should use your ears more often." She gave laugh when she heard an aggravated growl echo through the cave. "He looks tired, training?" She asked, as the stroked the fur on Gnar's back.

"Yes, we started on his throwing," Rengar replied. "We'll work on his stamina tomorrow."

"Throwing? Why didn't you let me train him in that?" the huntress groused, frowning at Rengar. He threw her a look that said 'You're kidding, right?' but when she didn't seem phased, he gave a sigh.

"If it bothers you so much, then be there when I train him further in that next time," the Pridestalker sourly replied. The fire ignited, and Rengar sat down to watch his handiwork grow into a full crackling flame.

"Which is when?"

She got a shrug in reply and she sighed. She took it as a sign that he was inviting her to help train the yordle. Even if he wasn't she'd still show up anyway just to annoy him, because he was so easy to irritate. Gnar wriggled in her arms and she let him go, watching as he said something to Rengar. The Pridestalker replied with a less than amused facial expression.

"You know, I still don't understand anything that you say."

Gnar didn't seem to mind, continuing to chatter. As the huntress observed them two, it felt almost as if this was a regular occurrence as Rengar didn't seem to mind either. He was either _really_ good at ignoring people (he wasn't, she knew from experience), or he had genuinely gotten used to the kid in the short time he knew him.

She gave a little smile at how adorable it looked from her point of view. It wasn't hard to grow to love the kid though. She barely knew him and already she found him to be a sweet little munchkin.

It was at that time Rengar decided to look up at her and, noticing her less than normal beam, commented: "What're _you_ smiling at?" Truthfully, she looked rather maniacal and it was strange coming from her.

"Oh, nothing," She grinned, which further made him want to rip her head off her shoulders to get rid of that smile. "Nothing at all."

…

 **A/N: I heard from someone today that it really shows how special a bond is if it's formed without speaking. Or in this case, understanding, as we can see above c:**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	4. Lost

Gnar loyally followed Rengar as they traversed through the forest to their training zone. It was still very much in the jungle, but it was a more open area.

"Alright kid, run," Rengar said, pointing to the open expanse. He knew the chances of them staying in the area were slim but it was better than Gnar accidently diving off a cliff, which was where his den was near. The kid could be really clumsy sometimes, he'd rather not give him an opportunity to get himself killed.

Gnar turned around, looked at the forest then turned back to Rengar in confusion. Rengar sighed at his clueless expression.

"I see you need a little convincing," he said, and roared suddenly, the sound echoing through the trees.

Gnar's ears flattened themselves to his head and he took several hesitant steps back. When Rengar sprang forward, Gnar evaded the feline and ran into the shrubbery. His heart thumped in his chest and he stopped, not hearing footsteps after him. Peering behind him, he saw nothing but trees. Making a sound of disbelief, the yordle walked forward a little more until he heard someone behind him, "You shouldn't be standing still."

Turning around in panic, he came face to face with the Pridestalker who looked less than pleased. "I told you to run!"

Gnar let out a startled yelp, before starting to run again. Rengar bounded after him, quickly removing the distance between them. He leaped towards the yordle, but Gnar jumped away and continued to speed through the bushes and grass. His sudden burst of speed surprised Rengar, but did not stop him from increasing his own swiftness. "Heh, quick little monster, aren't you?"

Just as Rengar made a grab for him, the yordle surprised him by hopping on his head and bouncing further into the undergrowth. Spinning around, he saw the runt was mocking him. Gnar stood on his head, wagging his behind and shouting taunts. At this, Rengar felt a smirk form despite himself. "Think you're funny, kid?" Gnar gaped in alarm when Rengar starting vanishing before his own eyes. "Let's see how you like this."

Gnar scrambled on all fours in an attempt to create space, even if he didn't know where Rengar was. As he ran, he felt chills go down his spine when suddenly Rengar dived at him. Unable to move away in time, he was pinned to the floor with one hand around his throat, his boomerang skidding several feet away.

Looking up into the face of his capturer, he quickly shut his eyes in fear. Rengar, seeing his effect on the child, removed his paw from Gnar's neck and turned around to pick up the weapon Gnar had dropped. Gnar, however, was still in a state of panic, and without knowing, his fur began to take on a reddish colour. The Pridestalker turned around when Gnar didn't follow, noticing the strange quietness from him. He frowned, noticing the changes in the yordle, and his eyes widened when he realized just what was happening.

Gnar's breathing was erratic, his fur going darker by the second. His tail fur began to get spiky, and his eyes turned red as well. Rengar, at a loss of what to do to prevent the transformation, took a step back. But then, his mind told him not to let a repeat happen of the last few days.

Deciding against running away, he knelt down and placed his paw on Gnar's head. "Calm down, kid," he muttered. When he saw no change in Gnar's behavior, he almost gave up. "I'm not going to hurt you." But as soon as those thoughts entered his mind, Gnar's eyes began to clear and his breathing had begun to normalize.

Breathing a short sigh of relief, Rengar picked up the child and placed him on his back. Gnar did little but put his head down on Rengar's shoulder.

That was enough for one day.

…

Later, Rengar tried to think of what had stressed the yordle out so much. He was sitting in his den, alone. Gnar was playing outside, seemingly oblivious to nearly changing and quite possibly wreaking havoc.

He had been perfectly fine during the chase, even throwing out his own taunts. So just what had caused his transformation to nearly take place? As he thought about all the events leading to his sudden panic attack, he realized that it might've been his stealth, and then the sudden attack. He hadn't actually meant to _scare_ him that badly, just enough to make him run. He was hoping to build up his awareness and his reaction timing, but this was obviously the wrong way to go about it. It wasn't on his to-do list to get his body smashed by a raging half monster who thought someone was trying to murder him.

Gnar walked in then, saw his caretaker deep in thought, and sat down next to him. Rengar paid no heed to the yordle who started talking, and very soon Gnar began to fall asleep, having exhausted himself playing around.

The Pridestalker then decided he should get food before Gnar woke up.

The kid was surprisingly even more annoying when he was hungry.

…

Gnar woke up to an empty den. Rengar was nowhere to be seen and his confusion set in when he realized this. Walking out of the lair, he looked around and saw no sign of the feline. It was already dark out, but he had a sudden urge to go look for him. Puffing out his chest, he grabbed his boomerang and ran out into the jungle with determination set in stone.

…

Rengar returned to his cave and was surprised to see that there was no sign of Gnar. He had taken a little longer than usual, thinking he could take his time. In his time away, it had begun to rain as he was making his way back.

He walked back to the entrance of his den and looking out, rubbed is head in confusion when the orange furball couldn't be seen.

"Hey, kid. You here?" he shouted out into the night, receiving no response. "You've got to be kidding me."

Muttering something on the lines of 'troublesome kid' he left once again in search of the yordle.

The rain made it difficult to trace where the child had gone, as it removed all traces of the dirt as well as his scent. Growling in frustration he continued his search, his fur nearly soaked. Despite his mind saying how much trouble the kid was in, there was still a pang of worry in his chest.

…

He found Gnar under a tree, soaked to the bone and babbling excitedly once he saw Rengar. He looked extremely proud of himself for some reason but Rengar was definitely not amused. Half dragging the kid back to the den, who was apparently oblivious to the foul mood Rengar was in, still continued his chatter. Though the yordle was shivering uncontrollably, he didn't seem to mind at all.

Once they were back home, Rengar hurriedly made a fire to warm up and dry the child, hoping that Gnar wouldn't get sick from being out in the cold for too long. Gnar, happy to be back in warmth once more, happily sat in front of the heat source with a smile as big as Valoran on his face.

He had found Rengar and that was all that mattered to him.

…

The next morning, Gnar was quiet, his sleeping pattern totally strange. It was no surprise that Rengar was first to awaken, but Gnar was always awake soon after. This time, the yordle was asleep for so long it had Rengar checking what was wrong with the child.

To his bewilderment, the kid was as hot as a furnace.

"You just love to bring me trouble," Rengar muttered, going out to find the one person who he despised but was willing to drop his pride to ask for help.

…

 **A/N: Was out these few days with my friends and enjoying league, which explain the long update time. C; Enjoy. Also, if there's something you'd like to see in this story, tell me and I'll gladly try to fit in your idea :**

 **R/R's are much appreciated!**


	5. A Thorny Encounter

"You're right, he does have a fever," Nidalee said, holding her hand against to Gnar's forehead. She nearly pulled away from how warm it was and she frowned. The yordle had no reaction and was muttering in his sleep. While the muttering may have been normal, the temperature was not and a lump of worry formed in Nidalee's chest as she observed the sleeping child.

Rengar in turn, rolled his eyes. "I was able to deduce that myself, oh wise one," he retorted, and the huntress replied with a glare. "What I don't know is how to cure him. I don't exactly get these sicknesses."

It had truthfully been years since his last sickness, probably back when he was still being trained by his human caretaker. It would be no surprise that he didn't know a thing about medicine. First-Aid? He was acceptable. But these sicknesses? He had not one clue on how to treat it.

Nidalee paced, deep in thought. She knew of one way to get a definite cure but that was the nearest populated area. It would be days before her return and by then Gnar's condition might have gotten poorer or, worst case scenario, he might have even died. That was completely out of the question. She thought for a few moments more before coming to a decision.

She was no medical expert, but she knew of someone who might be, or was at least knowing of medicinal plants. She grimaced at what she was about to do, but pushed the thought away. She was going to help Gnar no matter the cost, even possibly putting her own life in danger.

"I think I might have a solution. There is no choice but to go find the one who commands this jungle's flora."

It was several seconds before what she actually said dawned on Rengar. He gaped at her for several seconds before he answered her.

"Nidalee, that is a suicidal mission, and you know it," He attempted to reason with her. "No one who has seen her has lived to tell the tale."

"I have," the woman stubbornly proclaimed. "Would you rather have Gnar dead?"

Rengar glanced at the sick child and sighed in defeat. "Fine, do what you think is right. But don't do anything senseless."

"Why, if I hadn't known better I'd say you were worried!"

"Shut up!"

…

Nidalee walked quickly through the jungle, dragging a dead elk with her. The massive animal did little to restrain her agile movements and soon she entered an area thick with plant life. This might've been an ordinary place, but the plants were composed of thorns and deadly carnivorous shrubberies. She wisely watched where she stepped as one wrong move could well mean her death. It was a horrible idea for her to be this close to this part of jungle in the first place, but she would not give up.

Eventually the plants lead to a narrow walkway and Nidalee hurriedly walked through, careful not to touch the plants, however close they were. As she got to the end of the walkway, a large area full of beautiful plants appeared before her eyes. To any normal person this might have been a view worth a thousand lifetimes, but Nidalee was well aware that these flowers could kill without hesitance.

Sitting in the middle of those flowers was the plant woman, Zyra, her eyes glowing amber as they landed on Nidalee. "Greetings, huntress," her sultry voice greeted. "My plants had seen you approaching. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?"

Nidalee tensed, not letting her guard down for a second, cautiously gazing around her for anything out of place. "I've come to make a deal," she finally said, deeming the area safe- for now.

"Ah, but you know that I do not do deals… unless of course you have some… compensation," Zyra said, a smirk donning her flawless features.

"It would be thoughtless to come here with nothing of the sort," Nidalee snorted, missing the voracious look that crossed Zyra's face.

"Good thinking," Zyra muttered, her hands raising from her sides and in an instant, vines whipped out towards Nidalee.

Nidalee, well prepared for an ambush, jumped away. She held her hand up, and Zyra curiously watched as the huntress dropped the huge body of the elk to the ground. "Here's your compensation, not me."

Zyra's plants eagerly moved towards the body and after several seconds Zyra nodded in appreciation. "Adequate. You may state your part of the deal, huntress."

"I have a child sick with fever and we do not have any medicine for him," Nidalee spoke, her voice filled with determination, the thought of Gnar sending waves of worry to her stomach. "I need a plant from you that will cure this sickness.

Zyra's face was impassive as she took in the request. After some seconds she relented and nodded to Nidalee who sighed in relief. Zyra's hand raised yet again, and Nidalee tensed as she expected another attack, but instead a lone flower appeared next to Zyra who plucked the plant from the ground. She muttered an apology to the flower, a pure remorseful expression on her face.

She gave the flower to Nidalee who examined it with a mixture of curiousity and caution. Its petals were bright yellow, and Nidalee felt a sense of dread looking at it. "Place it in warm water and let the child drink of it. He should be cured within the next day."

"This will not harm him, I hope, Zyra."

"You dare doubt my side of the deal, huntress?" Her voice now held an edge to it that sent shivers down Nidalee's spine. True, the plant did not look like it was at all dangerous, but looks could be deceiving. "It would be wise for you to leave before my patience falls. You are lucky enough to still be alive. Go!"

Nidalee wasted no time leaving, the grove closing behind her, and made her way back home without a hitch.

…

When Nidalee returned, Gnar's condition was no different and his fever had not receded, in fact it got seemingly gotten warmer. Rengar's ear's twitched and he turned to look at Nidalee who was breathless from exerting herself to get back as fast as she could.

Rengar was surprised to see the Bestial Huntress return without a scratch. When he questioned her about her experience, she told him that it would be better to give Gnar the medicine before she spoke. He took it that the experience was not an enjoyable one and didn't ask again.

"Do you have a bowl?" Nidalee asked, and Rengar nodded. It was small and he hardly ever used it after he took it from bandits but he thought it might come in handy. He was right, and Nidalee disappeared from the den for several minutes, returning later with the bowl filled with water.

She heated it over the fire until the water began to steam and inserted a single yellow flower into the bowl. She left it on the ground then and said, "I do not ever want to go back to that woman."

"I warned you, but you were so adamant on going."

"I couldn't just leave him to suffer! The closest town is days away!"

He didn't reply, watching her instead as she sat Gnar up, coaxing him into drinking from the bowl. She put the bowl by his lips and he drank without question, and fell asleep once more after he had drained all the medicinal water.

"Now all we can do is hope that woman hasn't played us both for fools."

…

Rengar awoke to eyes staring at him in excitement, and he got a strange sense of Déjà Vu, but removed the thought when he realized just who was staring at him. Gnar looked as well as would on a normal day and Rengar couldn't help let out a smirk.

"Back to normal, eh runt?"

Gnar replied by launching himself at Rengar who groaned in exasperation. "Ugh, get off me!"

In the back of his mind he said a silent thank-you to the plant woman who had probably saved Gnar's life.

…

 **A/N: Ah, how I love Zyra.**

 **R/R's are much appreciated!**


	6. Bizarre

Nidalee sat on a tree branch, silently observing the jungle, its calming and quiet appearance filling her with an inner peace. It was a quiet day and there had been no disturbances for a while. She could say it was largely due to Rengar killing anyone who would dare threaten the area, and not so subtly declaring this a no-go zone if you were planning on killing innocent defenseless creatures for fun.

If anyone, simply put, had the balls to even dare, it would be Rengar's pleasure to kill the rather idiotic and, quite honestly, suicidal person or beast.

But then there was Gnar.

She couldn't quite decide on what Rengar's standings with the child were. Sure, he was looking after him and training him, but those decisions could change over time. He had honestly not seemed like the fatherly type of cat, and frankly, taking in Gnar had been so shocking.

But it was truly heartwarming to see the two and she believed it would be a good experience for the hunter. Besides, Gnar was not a bad kid. The only issue she had with him was on his background. Surely a kid couldn't just pop out of thin air.

Could he have?

A sudden crash made her jump in surprise, and she grabbed her spear, heading in the direction she had heard the loud noise. Weaving through the trees, she arrived to see a wagon, crashed with its owners gone. There was no sign of life, not even bodies.

Frowning, she approached the wagon to see belongings still inside. Glancing at the label on the wagon, she was astonished to see that it was from Bandle City. It wasn't far to travel from Bandle to Kumungu, at least a day or two, but it was a rare occurrence as traversing the jungle was seen as suicide to many.

Considering what lurk in the deepest parts of the jungle they are mostly correct. Many don't make that journey, often getting diseased and ill within a short amount of time and dying a slow and painful death.

That was the danger of being new to the jungle environment as you were either killed by the wildlife or the illnesses that lurked everywhere. It was saddening, as the jungle could be truly beautiful with its lush greenery and exotic wildlife but many could not see it for what it truly was.

Nidalee shook her head and pulled out a suitcase from the remains of the wagon. Inside she found clothes and regular belongings but there was one item that made her grin ear to ear.

Taking it, she hurriedly decided to take a visit to Gnar.

…

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Rengar asked, observing how Nidalee had put Gnar into a suit. The kid just acted like this was a normal everyday procedure and didn't try to escape the madwoman's evil clutches. Well, at least it seemed like that to Rengar.

He couldn't deny that this was probably the strangest thing he's seen all week. The black striped suit made him look even tinier than he already was, but Nidalee looked close to squealing in adoration. He sighed and gave her a look, but it seemed to just be ignored.

"Doesn't he look charming?" Nidalee held up the child who stared at Rengar. He shook his head. "No! Get him out of that," He said. "Where did you even find a suit? We're in a jungle!"

"About that…"

He knew that tone of her voice. There was something she had not told him. It was probably important, but not important enough to be said in a hurry apparently. "What is it?"

"I found it in a wagon crash, near the edge of the jungle," Nidalee stated, but he knew that wasn't all.

"Go on."

"It was empty by the time I got to it. There was nobody, not even a trace."

Rengar pondered this for a moment before grimly coming to a decision. "Something must've scared them off. If from what you've brought here," he pointed to the silly outfit Gnar wore, "They were probably so panicked they didn't give their belongings a second glance."

"What were they even doing here in the first place? No one comes here, unless it's for some exploration issue."

Rengar shrugged, not concerned about the matters of those who attempted to travel through the jungle. More often than not the jungle cleared them out in its own ways. But if what scared them off was genuinely something fearsome, something that could prove a challenge…

He felt anticipation twitch through him, a flashback of the monster that took his eye coming to mind.

…

Rengar had disappeared for a good measure of the day and Gnar was beginning to get bored. It was a rare occurrence for the yordle but it happened. When he got bored he usually walked around the jungle, quite a distance from the den but also not far enough to get lost, and made up a game or two on his way.

It was usually when Nidalee left to do her own things and Rengar left to get food that Gnar would walk around. For some reason Rengar never let him go out alone, especially after the incident where he got lost. But being a child, and an extremely curious one at that, Gnar found loopholes to do what he wanted. He just made sure to return within a reasonable amount of time.

But this time as he paced through the, strangely empty, jungle he came face to face with a purple skinned yordle who gaped at him. She wore red and gold attire with a hat that was her length in size, and her green eyes sparkled with curiosity at him. He gave a yelp of surprise and turned to run towards a tree, hiding from the strange person, and she in turn gave a scream as well, hiding underneath her huge hat.

He peaked from behind the tree, but she had disappeared. Confused at the strange departure, he was startled once more when there was a pat on his shoulder. It was the same yordle, only she didn't look surprised anymore but inquisitive.

"Who're you? You look as strange as a faerie in the city!"

Gnar, unable to understand tilted his head at her, and she seemed to comprehend that he didn't know a thing she was saying. Even so, she attempted once more as she was hopelessly lost and the child was the first person she saw for a while.

"Hmm, I don't suppose you know how to get out of this place?"

The orange furred yordle decided that it would probably be best for him to lead her to his home. He didn't know why but he had a compelling thought to take her to Rengar as she looked distressed.

"Looks like he understands after all, Pix! Maybe he'll take us somewhere with civilization!"

It was then that Gnar noticed the strange winged creature that followed her every move loyally. The creature so small, that it was barely noticeable but the longer he stared the more he felt the need to look away.

He ran back towards his home, and soon the girl started following him.

…

Rengar had thought that seeing Gnar in a suit was strange, but when he saw the girl that Gnarhad brought with him, he could honestly say that calling her strange was an understatement. Everything about her screamed 'Bizarre' and the way her eyes watched everything with an unmatched curiosity, never missing a single thing, was quite uncanny.

Gnar seemed to be hell-bent on him helping her out as the kid tugged on his arm's fur and pointing to her, an obvious plea to assist the female yordle. He gave Gnar an unimpressed look which only served to make him tug harder on his fur.

"Pleased to meet you. My name is Lulu," she introduced herself but then looked as though she forgot something. "Oh, and this is Pix!"

Rengar watched as a winged individual flew out from under her hat and if he had eyebrows they would probably have shot to the sky as he took in the faerie. Now he understood why the girl was so odd. It was no lie that anything that ever came in contact with the fae folk eventually went insane, or lived lives so vastly different to others of their kind.

As he took a closer look at the girl, he could see the wisdom she had obtained but he could not pinpoint how or why.

"Rengar," he replied. "Why are you here?"

"Oh it was the strangest thing. Our wagon crashed and the people travelling with me ran into the jungle and I followed them but I got separated. I didn't know where I was and I met the little dewdrop over there who led me to you!"

"Could you explain how your wagon crashed?"

"I was at the back, so I could not see much. The driver was screaming about a beast though. Something like a –"

"A giant bug-monster?"

"No, no, nothing like that. It was a lion kind of thing from what I heard."

Rengar felt a sense disappointment at his rival not being the cause but felt hopeful the new challenge to be found. He barely had time to think when the girl made her way into his home, barely acknowledging that it was _his_ den. He gave her a warning glare and she gave him a grin that looked creepier than probably intended.

Gnar muttered something to him, pointing at her again. Rengar glanced at his face and noted the look of unhappiness. Lulu looked intently at the child, seemingly listening to what the yordle was saying.

"He says that he wants to help me but he doesn't know how."

Rengar took a double take at what she said, gaping at her.

"Wait, what?"

Gnar continued to speak, unaware of the surprise the feline felt.

"He also says that he wants you to help him… oh and he's tired." At the same time Gnar, yawned and rubbed his eyes, snuggling against Rengar.

Rengar rolled his eyes but didn't bother trying to shove him away this time. It never worked before, and in his mind Nidalee's glare worked wonders at letting the yordle get close.

"You can understand him?"

"Mostly," she replied, "but the way he speaks is strange."

He couldn't bring himself to say that her _even understanding_ him was strange among other things but he let it go. After all, her faerie was watching him with intent mistrust and he felt like trampling the thing to dust, but instead giving it a glower in return.

"Now, Pix, that's no way to act!"

Rengar didn't bother to check the faerie's response as he turned to look outside the den. Lulu and her companion continued to bicker while Gnar's breathing steadied as the yordle found his way to oblivion.

...

 **A/N: I honestly have no idea how Lulu would speak... even though she's one of my champs I frequently play i just don't know :/**

 **Anyway, I will be changing my internet provider because the one we have now is absolutely horrible and I might not be able to update. I will try to find other ways but if not, then I'm sorry.**

 **Otherwise, thanks for reading, and reviews are welcomed!**


	7. Surprise, Surprise

The trees rustled as a gentle wind blew through its leaves. It was quiet, empty, save for one deer, grazing the grass. Its elegant body was oblivious to the threat looming further away in a large brush.

A restless shock of orange fur could be seen if carefully viewed, with a larger white furred creature next to it. They were expertly hidden, and as such the deer was not able to spot them.

Gnar watched the animal with a growing excitement, and attempted to jump at it just like his first attempt several weeks ago. He was stopped by an annoyed Rengar who grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. "Not this time kid." Gnar made a sound of protest at this, but only crossed his arms and pouted. Rengar nearly chuckled at how disgruntled he looked, but had to be taught at some point how to hunt undetected. Now was as good a time as any.

He ducked down before the deer could see them and remained quiet for several seconds until the deer deemed there was no trouble and returned to grazing. Once he thought it was safe to put Gnar down without him speeding towards their target, Rengar spoke in a low voice to the child who eagerly awaited his instructions.

"Alright, kid. Go low to the ground," Rengar whispered and displayed to the yordle what he should do, and the child silently followed his example. "Don't make a sound…"

"Now… try to get him."

Surprisingly Gnar was able to catch on that he wasn't just supposed to rocket at his target and hopefully shock it enough for it to stand still. He was actually making an effort to remain hidden in the brush, and it was no surprise when he jumped the deer and effortlessly claimed its life.

…

Several minutes later while they were getting ready to return to the den with their food for the night, Rengar felt eyes on his back. He turned in the direction but was tugged away by an impatient Gnar who wasn't as interested in his surroundings as much as his stomach.

But then his ears twitched as well, and the yordle turned to look in the same direction Rengar had before, his expression morphing into one of extreme caution, and tossed his boomerang. When it came back without a hitch he lowered his guard.

Rengar was not nearly as convinced as Gnar was but decided to play along until whatever it was showed itself.

It was when Gnar walked on dragging the body of the deer slowly behind him that a huge lion-like creature jumped from the brush, roaring at the surprised yordle. The lion made an attempt to bite the yordle's head but Rengar was one step ahead of it, jumping in front of Gnar and shoving it back, and dagger at its throat yelled at the still stone-like Gnar. "Run, kid!"

Gnar suddenly realized what Rengar was trying to say and scrambled away.

Using Rengar's distraction, he hit the dagger out of the Pridestalker's hands but was still being held back. The creature had a surprising amount of brute strength as it attempted to move Rengar away. But the lion would not be so easily overpowered. Using its tail as a whip, it hit Rengar's legs, causing him to become unbalanced and fall to the ground.

In this moment, the lion jumped away from the Pridestalker to run after Gnar, who was still carrying the carcass. As it neared the yordle, its hind legs were suddenly locked together by a bola and in annoyance, it starting biting through the thick rope. It was not given the chance to succeed, however, as a dagger was pushed into its skull, effectively slaying the creature.

As the lion's body slumped into a lifeless heap, Rengar came to sudden realization. "This must be the thing that chased Lulu's wagon." It was probably attracted by the scent of the dead deer. That would explain why it completely ignored Rengar and ran after Gnar who had the corpse.

As he got a good look at the feline, he was rather disappointed at the manpower of the yordles. Surely they could have at least taken out this thing. It wasn't even worth a warmup, and clearly relied on stealth and surprise to kill its enemies. If someone who wasn't even as experienced as him or at least had half a brain would have noticed something off about their surroundings. And if they were planning on heading into the jungle... He scoffed. They would certainly have a harder time than with that mangy cat.

He shrugged at Gnar who gave him a look of admiration.

He couldn't say that the look was not uncomfortable. He was used to fear, anger, desperation. Not respect from a pipsqueak who should have been playing with toys at his age. But here he was killing things like it was normal and looking up to cold blooded killers.

The kid couldn't be normal in his head, as he was already rather messed up in the physical department.

Rengar muttered to no one in particular, "Stupid monster-kid." And the two continued on their way home as if nothing had happened. The only difference was the huge lion dragged by Rengar, with the smaller figure still tugging the deer.

…

"You killed it? That's amazing!" Lulu exclaimed, eyeing the lion's corpse with curious eyes as Pix flew around and observed it. He confirmed to the sorceress that that was indeed the very same creature that had attacked them. "But I wonder if he caught everyone else…" She hummed as she thought about the possibility of the lion eating her companions.

Rengar groaned aloud. He didn't want to have to deal with _two_ childlike things. One was already more than enough and he had a distinct feeling that the other was not as young as she looked, with the often faraway look in her eyes.

But in the short time she had stayed Gnar had warmed up to her, often conversing with her like a normal person would. It seemed as though the longer they spoke the more the yordles understood each other.

Rengar didn't know whether to apprehensive of this, or happy that Gnar had found someone else to pester.

Not that he didn't get his fair share of a mouthful of gibberish, because there was more than enough of that for a lifetime.

At that point Nidalee entered the den and with one raise of her eyebrow as she took in Lulu, she shook her head. "You're really something, you know?" she regarded Rengar, an amused smirk on her face.

"Shut up."

Then she got a good look at the feline and orange furball and she frowned. "You're covered in blood. At least go clean yourself. And you've gotten Gnar all dirty too." Said yordle was quite a sight, huge eyes gleaming innocently while covered in blood.

Rengar rolled his eyes but gave a sigh. "Whatever, come on, runt," he said to Gnar who happily obliged.

…

The lake's water was cool and Gnar was apprehensive to enter. The water was crystal clear and Rengar saw no reason for the child not to like water. Kids were supposed to enjoy playing in water. So he did what any normal parent would.

He grabbed Gnar's leg tossed the yordle into the water.

With a startled yelp and a splash, the yordle disappeared from sight. When Gnar's head resurfaced, his expression was the most hilarious thing Rengar had seen in a while and he roared in laughter at the yordle. Gnar was less than charmed and, in retaliation, he splashed a large amount of water at the feline.

It was Gnar's turn to be entertained when the now drenched Rengar stopped sniggering and turned to glare at Gnar instead. Gnar's gleeful laughter echoed but it only served to worsen his temper. The Pridestalker dived into the water and pulled Gnar down with him.

Nidalee and Lulu watched from under a tree nearby the lake, a silence between the two. Lulu had chattered cheerfully to the huntress while they had walked but she seemed to be in deep thought now as she gazed at the lake.

"You are from the wagon, aren't you?"

"Yep! But now Pix and I have no way of getting back."

"Why did you come here anyway?"

Lulu looked rather sheepish as she explained. "I used magic on children to make playing our games more fun!" Pix hovered restlessly above her. "But it made some of them ill, so they heard a rumour that Kumungu had a rare plant that specialized in healing that illness."

Nidalee nodded in understanding at her. "So they made you go because you were the cause. Huh, unlucky but I suppose you deserve it."

Lulu shrugged but didn't say anything further on the matter.

But Nidalee heard her barely audible whisper soon after, "but they wanted me to do it."

The huntress couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the female yordle.

As Rengar and Gnar emerged from the lake, she stood up and offered a hand to the sorceress, and the two walked ahead.

…

~Next day~

"Alright, Nidalee, you wanted to train him. It's your turn now."

The huntress grinned, happy at finally getting an opportunity to show the child a thing or two. She took Gnar's hand and lead him to the same spot where Rengar had first taught him on throwing daggers. She had already created a small spear for the child as hers was much too large and would be uncomfortable for him to throw.

Gnar felt the spear, weighing it in his hand before he pulled his arm back and threw. Being a completely different weapon, he nearly missed the mark completely. She had observed flaws in his posture that was from throwing his boomerang. It was probably also brought over from the dagger training that Rengar gave but she couldn't be sure.

After correcting him, she stood back and watched him throw repeatedly.

Sometime after they took a short break, sitting in the shade of a tree while Gnar chatted to her in his 'language'. His boomerang was next to him but was left alone as he used hand gestures while talking to the huntress.

Rengar appeared and seeing the two, rolled his eyes. "I said teach him, not let him run his mouth."

She shrugged. "Just taking a break. But it's about over now." She stood up, stretching out and awaited on Gnar.

It was then that an animal came at surprising speed towards the yordle, grabbed his boomerang and made a run for it.

It took Gnar a moment to process what had happened, but when realization dawned on him the reaction was almost instantaneous as his fur took on a bright red colour.

Rengar was shell-shocked, a feeling of dread growing in his stomach as the animal, a monkey, climbed up a tree and watched Gnar, as if mocking him. Rengar wished the monkey would have chosen another target as it looked like he wouldn't be able to stop the transformation.

He was right.

"Oh shit…," the Pridestalker muttered. "Nidalee, run!"

"Why?" She asked in confusion but turning to look at what Rengar was gazing it she felt her chills run up her spine. Her face paled as she gawked at the huge creature and into its eyes, hoping to find a sliver of the old Gnar left. All she got in return was a cold stare and nearly being struck into the ground but escaping at the last moment by morphing into her cougar form and jumping away.

She didn't need to be told twice after that as the beast gave a terrifying roar.

The monkey had gotten such a shock that it dropped Gnar's boomerang and fled in fear, but it was far too late.

Far, far too late.

Rengar knew this was going to a long run, while they waited for Gnar to tire out.

…

Hours later, muscles aching, Rengar carried the now normal but worn out Gnar on his back.

"You knew about that, Rengar?" Nidalee asked.

"You remember when I told you about how I found him. About how some 'unfortunate' events took place?" When she nodded, he gave a response of "This was it."

…

 **A/N: I'm back! I hope this was worth the wait.**

 **If not, my apologies, but school has started once more and I'm already getting myself into trouble for ignoring my homework D:**

 **Reviews are much appreciated! Seriously, they make me have moments of inspiration.**


	8. Time to Leave

"You know she can't stay here forever. She's going to have to leave at some point," Nidalee said, stretching out in the heat of the sun, while gauging the feline's reaction.

"You think I don't know that?" He grumbled. "It's enough to have one midget running around, but two?"

She chuckled and moved her gaze towards said yordles who were sitting under a tree attempting to cool down on the warm day. They were in a heated conversation about who knows what, considering Lulu was the only one capable of understanding him. She didn't make it known what they were talking about either. They could be talking about world domination for all she knew and none of them would be able to tell the difference.

She doubted _that_ though. Gnar was just too sweet, though she couldn't be sure about the other one.

Rengar had gotten increasingly aggravated as the days went by. It was just a matter of time before his terrifying temper showed up, and Nidalee was hoping Lulu would be gone before she caused a meltdown. It wasn't that she was a trouble maker, well most of the time anyway, but there was now double responsibility for Rengar.

That, and Lulu dragged Gnar around everywhere and there might be a time where they could genuinely get into big trouble and end up getting killed. The jungle was not a joke or a place to mess around. If Zyra found them, perhaps the monster who took Rengar's eye, or even any rabid beast that hadn't run into Rengar yet, things would get bad real quick.

Her mind flashed with the memory of Gnar's frightful transformation and she shuddered. Those cold eyes that made the hairs on her neck stand from fear.

So maybe they wouldn't be in _that_ much trouble if it reared its angry head. It didn't mean that they were totally safe though. From the looks of it Gnar was unable to think rationally during that time, even attacking those who he held dear and an extremely capable foe would be able to take him down if he wasn't careful.

Though she did pity the poor souls who upset him.

"We could take her home ourselves."

Her head snapped in his direction to see if he was serious, but his expression was stony. "You're serious? I thought you hated going into towns."

"No, you nitwit, we take her close enough to get back safely by herself. Simple as that."

That made much more sense, though it was still surprising that he would go that far in the first place. Maybe he had a soft spot for her as well. As crazy as she was, she could be cute sometimes. Though not as much as Gnar.

No, she wasn't biased.

…Maybe a little.

"Still several days travel though," she hummed. "You'd think they would've sent help since the wagon hasn't returned yet."

Rengar shrugged. "It's not any of our business what goes on in that place."

"But she is, though," the huntress said, jerking her thumb to the two yordles.

"Ugh, don't remind me."

It was quiet for several minutes, Nidalee relaxing and Rengar just absently gazing into the jungle.

Truthfully, though he would never ever admit it to anyone, he was worried. If they do decide to accompany Lulu home, what would Gnar do? Would he stay with Rengar? Or would he want to be with people of his own kind? After watching both yordles for the last few days he came to a sudden realization that they could give him something that he would never be able to: a normal life.

Lulu was anything but normal, but other regular citizens would probably welcome one of their kind with open arms. Bandle City was known for their welcoming behaviour to tourists or their own. He didn't doubt that Gnar would be happy there. A family would probably adopt him and he would never know the difference, being as young as he was. His temper would rarely flare up, as there would be almost no reason to throw tantrums. It was a win-win situation for Gnar no matter what way you looked at it, and Rengar found this very bothersome.

Very bothersome indeed.

Bothersome in the fact that he was even worrying about that. He growled in frustration, attempting to move his thoughts away from the orange furred yordle. Nidalee, assuming that he was getting frustrated at having to personally take Lulu home, butted into his thoughts.

"Before she leaves, you should ask her about where Gnar's from. She could be the only lead you have and you might never see her again if we take her back."

"Maybe later," he replied, not quite in the mood to question someone on the verge of insanity. With an overprotective fly to boot. Yeah, not quite up to that without wanting to rip the thing's wings off. And force feed them to it.

"What's up with you?" Nidalee curiously asked, his brooding mood finally becoming strange to her.

"Nothing, I'll be back later."

With that he stood up and left, unaware of a certain female yordle's gaze on him as he stalked out of view.

…

It was nearing sunset when he returned in a much better mood and with food. Nidalee had left a little while earlier, according to Lulu, but not without warning the two yordles not to leave the area unless Rengar came back.

Gnar had started chattering excitedly to Rengar who couldn't help but chuckle. He never would understand why the kid liked talking to him so much and as annoying as he could be sometimes, having him gone would probably make everything different again. Lulu was watching him with a knowing expression, her green eyes glinting with unhindered curiousity and understanding. He held back a sneer, and instead built up their fire for the night.

Later, with a full belly and half lidded eyes, Gnar curled up next to the fire and promptly fell asleep. Rengar sat, watching the child's breathing steady and his mumblings grow softer.

"He's happy to have you, you're lucky," Lulu pouted. "Pix says he won't leave with us when we go back."

Rengar was surprised to hear her say that, as if she could read his mind. When he met her gaze, there was a twinkle of mischief in her bright emerald eyes.

Nidalee's words of advice suddenly popped into his head. _"Before she leaves, you should ask her about where Gnar's from. She could be the only lead you have and you might never see her again if we take her back."_

"Do you know where he's from? He wasn't around here before and just suddenly popped out of nowhere," he asked her.

At first it seemed as though she wasn't going to answer but then he realized she was conversing with her fae companion. She shook her head. "Dewdrop himself doesn't know. Pix and I have wondered the same thing, since we felt this strange essence around him, but all he says he can remember is being very cold."

Very cold. Strange, there was no ice in the jungle or any cold weather for that matter. But then what she said clicked in his head. "Wait, you knew he could transform?"

"Yep! He says sometimes when he gets upset his mind goes blank and he can't remember anything," she paused as she heard Pix mutter something. "Oh, and Pix says he might not be from this time."

Rengar didn't think he had ever heard something as absurd as what just came out her mouth. She must have noticed the expression on his face because she hurriedly continued. "His way of speaking is different. Sometimes he says things that don't make sense at all," she pondered how to explain. "He would mention something that we've never heard of before and when we asked him about it, his head would hurt for a while."

"Also Pix has lived a long time, he knows what belongs where, and he says Dewdrop doesn't belong here in this time."

He had more questions, but he didn't feel them important enough to voice out. Soon after, Lulu fell asleep next to Gnar.

Pix hovered around her, making sure she was okay before he flew closer to Rengar's ear and whispered, "Beware the Void. They will surely return. Look after the child."

Astonished at actually being spoken to by the faerie Rengar met its gaze for several seconds before nodding. The pixie then flew beneath Lulu's hat where he would remain until his companion awoke.

He growled and balled his paws as the image of the giant bug monster appeared in his mind. He would surely not let that _thing_ do any harm to Gnar.

If it showed its ugly face again, he would resist the temptation to shred it to pieces.

Yes, he would finally fill the space he had left open for the head of the monster.

A truly worthy trophy.

…

The next day, Rengar and Gnar went for a jog around the perimeters of the jungle near their home. He was happy to see that Gnar was able to keep up although he did tire out near the end. They took a break by a cliffside that viewed most of the jungle. Gnar had talked to him in his usual manner while Rengar just sat and watched.

"You know, kid, I wouldn't be surprised if you wanted to leave with her."

Gnar stopped his chattering to look at his caretaker in confusion. "You'd finally have a proper family, home and a place that isn't a hazard to live in every day," The Pridestalker spoke. It was evident that Gnar didn't know what he was saying, but he continued anyway. "I won't hold it against you if you decide to leave… but things will definitely not be the same."

Gnar, sensing the uneasiness in Rengar, scooted a little closer and gave him a grin. Rengar rolled his eyes, but patted the yordle's head anyway.

"Then again, that incessant talking of yours would be gone for good," he joked, but just imagining it made him feel a sense of loss.

"Whatever, let's go back. That girl might just change some things around back home with her fancy magic."

…

He hadn't expected to return with several more midgets sitting in his den. They sat comfortably around in a circle, apparently awaiting on Gnar. They looked at Rengar with a mixture of awe and terror but didn't bother moving away.

"Who are you?" He asked, less than amused.

"The name's Tristana, and this is Teemo," The yordle said, pointing to her companion who gave a stiff nod to the Pridestalker. "We were sent as backup for the wagon that crashed here."

"We were going to leave as soon as they got a chance to see Dewdrop," Lulu interjected, waving Gnar to come forward.

Gnar curiously went to her and was promptly bombarded with questions about why he looked so different, but was unable to answer any due to his inability to comprehend what they were saying.

Lulu put a stop to it when she realized they were causing more confusion than anything else.

"We'll have to leave now. There's no reason for us to stay any longer, if what you've said is true about everyone else being missing or dead," The one known as Teemo said, standing up and heading towards the entrance of the den.

"What about the plant for the magic sickness?"

"The city had demacian experts come in and cure the children. Everything is fine now," Tristana explained. "It's a shame that we've lost so many men, though. For nothing, too."

Lulu didn't reply but looked Gnar in the eyes and asked him a question that couldn't be understood by everyone else. When the child shook his head, Lulu looked amused but nodded in understanding. She patted Rengars back, "Look after him well."

The trio left the den with waves, mostly to Gnar, but Rengar didn't care. Gnar was returning the wave with vigor as Rengar grasped _just what Lulu had asked him._ He chuckled as he went back inside his home, with Gnar trailing after him.

"I can't say you've made a good choice, kid, but I'm happy you took this one."

His reply was Gnar beaming at him and curling up against his side.

...

 **A/N: To the person who mentioned Teemo, this just popped into my head ,as short as his appearance was I hope it was good enough :P**

 **Reviews are appreciated!**


	9. Creeping Visitors

After Lulu's departure back to her home city, it was once again just Rengar and Gnar, and occasionally the Bestial Huntress. It returned to what it was before the sudden appearance of the Fae yordle, although Gnar did miss her at first since he had grown accustomed to her presence in the short while she stayed. It took a few weeks for him to forget about her, and to Rengar it almost looked as if he was lonely.

He would wake up, look around and after seeing his friend not there, his eyes would drop in disappointment but cheer up almost immediately when he saw Rengar.

Rengar wasn't surprised, though. The runt had grown attached to him just as fast, and especially since she was of his kind, it was really no wonder that they got along so well. That and there was no language barrier- as strange as Gnar's way of speaking was. Well, more or less anyway. If what Pix had told his mistress was true and Gnar _was_ in fact from another time, how did he end up here?

Gnar was curled up with his head on his arms in a deep slumber, occasionally muttering nonsense. It all made sense, the more Rengar stared at him. The boomerang, the tiny tusks in his mouth because no male yordle he had seen had had them, the little bones on his head- they all fit together like pieces of a puzzle. It would also explain why he was alone in a jungle. If what happened only occurred to him, then he must've lost his family as well.

The thought had Rengar feeling strangely down for the kid, to lose everything at once and not remember anything was definitely distressing. But how had it all happened anyway?

Lulu mentioned Gnar had felt cold for a long time. Perhaps the weather had been different that time, but he knew for certain that Gnar had only recently escaped from it. Rengar had lived in the jungle for most of his life, and not once had he come across the young yordle. If only he could get Gnar to understand his words to take him to the place where he woke up. Perhaps it would solve the mystery of what happened.

He shook his head- it was probably extremely unlikely and he was in over his head about the entire situation. He couldn't help but be curious though. The runt was a living mystery and he had a feeling it would be a while before he found anything out.

…

As dusk approached across the horizon, a certain orange ball of fur stood deathly still, silently watching a rabbit nibbling on some leaves. It was probably taking its last bite to eat before it would retreat back to the safety of its home. The yordle's tail twitched in anticipation, but still he held his ground. The rabbit ate in unknowing peace, but was soon disturbed as, seemingly out of nowhere, danger leaped in front of him.

Unfortunately for Gnar, the rabbit's reflexes were faster than his actions, and in no time the rabbit bounded into the safety of the jungle's flora. The yordle pouted and crossed his arms as his prey disappeared, and looked towards Rengar, who was laughing at him, and frowned. Rengar patted his head and chuckled.

"It's alright kid, those rodents in these parts are quick to act. It will take some practice before you can even hope to catch one." This only further deepened the child's frown. "Don't give me that look. You can try again tomorrow."

He doubted it would make a difference, but better that than nothing. It was nearing nightfall anyway, and it would be best for them to return and continue later.

One thing Rengar had learned about Gnar during their training was that the kid hated failure. Occasionally, he would not be bothered, especially when learning something for the first time. Although, after that was a completely different story. Rengar guessed that it had to do with how he was an extremely fast learner. He would train and train on his own until he had perfected a technique- with his own unique twists. Just like how he had used his boomerang in his own special way, so had he adapted with other weapons.

He would use his agility and slipperiness often to surprise Rengar when he would test him on what he had learnt. It was honestly something that made him proud, that for someone that young he had already found his own way of doing things.

He had thought trying to train him to control his anger, but without proper communication he knew that was just a plan waiting to fail. The best hope he had was to wait until Gnar was older. He knew that occasionally, his temper might flare out- such as the incident with the monkey- but all children had their tantrums.

Maybe not quite so dangerous, but everyone was different.

As they approached the den, and already lit fire's glow could be seen and he sighed. He already knew who it was, and apparently so did Gnar as he ran towards the source without a second guess. He was a bit curious, though. Usually she didn't visit this late unless she had news to give.

As the Pridestalker entered, he saw Nidalee, with Gnar in her lap looking less than happy.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, clearly unimpressed. She rolled her eyes.

"Do I need a reason to come see my favourite yordle, hmm?" She held up Gnar, who didn't seem to mind at all. After she received no answer, but a look that clearly said 'you better start speaking', she laughed. "You're no fun. Anyway, there's a bit of unease going around the jungle."

"Unease? From what?"

"Demacians. They've been coming in and leaving frequently, with more each time, although I'm not sure for what. Some say they're traveling, others say they're looking for something, but no one really knows. Every animal is getting tense, expecting the worst."

"What do you think?"

She shrugged. "They haven't done anything, so I doubt they'd start now. Probably just exploring again. Perhaps it's just nothing." Her hands gently moved across Gnar's fur, as he sat in silence.

"I doubt it. If it truly makes everyone nervous, I don't think this should just be ignored." He sat and thought for a while. "If they do anything drastic, we may have to make them leave ourselves."

"Or perhaps Zyra will do it herself. I doubt she'd just let humans destroy her territory. If she's not bothered, then there's nothing to worry about," Nidalee explained, and Rengar hated to agree with her, but she was probably right. With something as sensitive to change as plant life, he seriously doubted Zyra would stand idly and watch her grounds be ruined.

"Well… As long as they don't threaten us, I'll let it slide."

She shrugged again. "Just thought I'd let you know, in case you start wondering why everything is quiet." She stood up and gently put Gnar, who had fallen asleep, to the ground, and left.

…

It was just a regular day with Rengar training Gnar. Their day had been uneventful with no sign of the creeping demacians. He couldn't help but feel a small pang of worry.

Before, it had just been him. Now he had a responsibility- in the form of an orange furball. As annoying as Gnar could be sometimes, it was his duty to protect him. He was a fast learner, and could probably take on someone alone. But he was still young, inexperienced and doubted demacians would just sit and watch their comrades be killed. Perhaps they wouldn't be so heartless as to fight and/or kill a child but the risks were there. There were some who didn't believe in a thing called mercy, even for a child.

It was while they were taking a break that he noticed Gnar had wandered off. Normally, he would shrug it off as Gnar would find his way back again in a few minutes, but with the dangers of the demacians approaching, he sprung up and called out for the yordle.

The response was not nearby, but he could hear it. And it sounded panicked.

He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, in the direction he had heard Gnar's shout. As he approached, he could hear Gnar's frantic babbling and to his surprise and relief, Gnar was just pointing to something on the ground. Curious, he took a closer look, and frowned. A demacian badge.

So they were closer than he thought.

But Gnar's panicked speech did not stop, and the yordle tugged on Rengars fur, all the while pointing behind him. He heard it then, the loud rustling of a bush, much too loud to be a small critter. But by then it was too late as several men jumped out. Two of them hastily grabbed Gnar, who was too stunned to dodge, and the yordle was then unable to move.

"No!" Rengar roared at the men, who faltered for a second before regaining their composure and tightening their grip on the helpless child. Rengar's sight of the men was blocked by two more, and he heard a third one behind him. In a second of quick movements, he swiftly took one down before grabbing another soldier by the throat, claws dangerously close to his neck. "Let the kid go."

He knew that this was no way to show peace, but they attacked without provocation. He had done no real damage to the downed man, and he had hoped that they would just see he was no threat. Gnar, however, was outright panicking and Rengar knew that he had to do something. The runt's fur was already turning darker shades of red and if they didn't stop, they would all be crushed for sure.

The soldier on the floor looked towards the ones holding Gnar. He looked terrified at the sudden change in appearance of the child. In a fit of panic he screamed, "Tranquilizers!"

"What?" Rengar muttered, and turned around, but it was too late. He felt the sting of the tranquilizer dart in his neck, and almost immediately felt its effects as his grip on the soldier loosened. His eyes moved towards the source, a gunman hidden in foliage. He saw the blur of another that hit Gnar, and his fur returned to normal over several seconds as the yordle quickly passed out.

His vision began to go hazy and his knees weakened, but still he would not give up. He would not let them take Gnar away. With the last of his strength, he lunged at the two and grabbed Gnar, before attempting to make a hasty escape.

"Again!"

He grunted as he felt another shot in hit his back.

He dropped to his knees before collapsing to the ground, eyes slowly closing, but still making sure Gnar was within his grip.

…

"What shall we do with him, sir?"

"Take him along with the others. Remember to keep him down, or he'll kill us all."

"Roger that. What about the kid?"

"Seems they had a connection, do the same with him."

…

 **A/N: Hey… anyone still here? I'm so sorry for the long wait, but ya know shit happens. Longer chapter next time, this is just a bridge of sorts.**

 **Also, someone mentioned Rengar should've known trist and the gang, but since Riot retconned the original lore, I doubt that they would know each other if the rift didn't exist.**

 **Reviews are love!**


	10. Recovery

Gnar felt his body surrounding by a comfortable heat. It wasn't quite the same feeling that the campfire gave him, but it was soothing and very, very soft. He turned and opened his eyes. They were not met with the jungle he was accustomed to, nor the cave he had begun to call home.

It was then that he recalled his last memories and shot up with a start. Confusion suddenly set in as he took in his surroundings. There was no Rengar, no threatening men, and he couldn't for the life of him understand where he was. The warmth was in fact a blanket on the bed wherein he was lying.

He was in a room with white walls and toys lying around. The colourful decorations that adorned the walls made it clear it was a children's playroom, but, currently, it was empty save for Gnar. To him, however, it was an area unknown- something he had never seen before.

He calmed down a little, seeing as he was alone with no one threatening him, and snuggled deeper into the warmth of the blankets, feeling an odd sense of security in his solitude. The inkling of fear he felt seemed to grow as he thought of Rengar and he whimpered.

The yordle was lost in a foreign place with no one to help him. He sat in thought for a few minutes, thoughts blazing through his mind in the silence. He came to a sudden conclusion that Rengar must be hurt somewhere. He needed to help him, perhaps he was injured after their fight. Of course!

Determination set in his mind and the fear disappearing, he puffed his chest out and hopped off from the bed, dragging the warm blanket with him and wrapping it around his tiny frame. It followed in a long trail on the floor but he didn't seem to notice.

As he approached the door it suddenly opened, and a startled nurse screamed in surprise. Gnar, having no time to waste, only spent a second looking at her and deciding she wasn't anyone important and sped past her, blanket billowing behind him.

The area outside was massive. He wasn't outside, but it felt like it was, with the ceiling being so far away. How could he possibly find Rengar like this?

He sat down and began to think hard, as hard as a four year old child could in his situation. The nurse from before watched him in amazement as he just sat on the floor deep in thought. It was at this moment that she realized he was one of the people that came in with the prisoners, but since he was a child they left him in the children's infirmary.

'He must be looking for his companions,' she thought. Feeling a bit sorry for the child, she opted to help him. Surely they couldn't be that bad?

She approached him, a bit uncertainly, and prodded his shoulder gently. He turned around, a confused expression on his face and she gave him a peaceful smile. She observed his strange miniature tusks, but his eyes were bright and friendly. Gnar looked at her and grinned, grabbing her hand and walking in a direction he thought was right. Maybe she knew where Rengar was. She didn't look like she was harmful, but he trusted her anyway.

The nurse's heart swelled with adoration for the child, but she laughed.

"This way," she tugged in the opposite direction.

…

Nidalee awoke with a pounding headache and a dry throat. She was in a bed, with several bandages covering her arms and ribs. She remembered with a frown what had occurred.

Having attempted to confront the demacian men herself, peacefully, it ended up creating a heated argument. They had refused to answer her questions truthfully, or even give any idea what they were doing. Having had enough of her, they resorted to violence, but the huntress was easily able to take them on. Once they discovered they were no match for her they simply shot her with a sedative.

She winced, feeling the bruises over her body.

Clearly they had beaten her while she was unconscious. "Tch, cowards."

She attempted to stand, only to stumble from an intense wave of dizziness. She held onto the bed with an iron grip as she stood still, breathing steadily in an attempt to relieve some of her vertigo. It worked, for the most part, and she could safely walk without falling over but her muscles screamed in pain with each step. She ignored it, knowing that there was a high chance both Gnar and Rengar were here.

But… Where was here?

It was deathly silent, and it seemed as though she was in a hospital room, but the quietness was unsettling. Shouldn't someone be around to watch her, if she was a captive?

She shrugged. She wasn't going to let this chance go to waste.

The first thing she searched for was clothing, but the only thing she could find was a nurse's outfit. Though it was definitely not was she was looking for, she figured it would help her fit in.

Walking towards the doorway, slowly poked her head out and looked around. From what she saw, the room she woke up in was just an infirmary. The hallway looked like those of castles, reinforced by the guard slowly patrolling up and down. He was not really paying attention, though, and she easily slid past running down the hallway glancing through doors for a familiar face.

Soon she managed to find a nurse, holding the hand of a very familiar orange furred yordle.

…

The nurse accompanying Gnar was as confused as she was delighted. The little yordle had run into one of his companions. With a delighted squeal he had thrown himself, free of his blanket, into a tanned, dark haired woman with eyes as sharp as a cat, and while she was wearing a nurse's outfit, it was fairly obvious she did not fit in.

She had given her a look, but with just that the nurse knew that she was no one to be messed with. She, however, did not feel threatened. Anyone would look out for their kid.

Even if there was no possible way he was hers.

"Do you know where my companion was taken?" she suddenly asked, a sense of power in her voice. "He's a huge tiger-looking creature."

The nurse, taken aback, stammered in reply. "I-I've not seen anything. But you should ask one of the guards." It was then that she realized that was probably a bad idea if they were brought here as prisoners. "No, never mind that. I'll take you to our leader. They should treat you as equals as you have not displayed violence in the castle."

Nidalee's eyes widened in surprise.

A castle. It would explain the extremely lengthy hallways and number of rooms. She had never been in one before, and the thought that she was now in a building often considered magical or majestic was slightly thrilling, but the situation at hand made sure to stop those giddy feelings.

Leaders are something she would rather avoid. But if they knew where Rengar was, and they brought them here for a reason, perhaps speaking with them was for the best. They would, however, probably hold her in contempt over the fight she had with their men. It would surely not end well, but she had to give it a try.

The huntress gave Gnar a quick look over and was pleased to find that he was unharmed and healthy. At least these people were honourable enough to not attack a child. Gnar gave her a grin and started on his usual babble. Nidalee gave a smile in return, before nodding to the nurse.

"Let's go then."

…

It was quiet. There was a strange smell in the area and a peculiar feeling in his body. Rengar blearily opened his eyes before quickly closing it to the sudden brightness. He slowly opened them again to see he was in a cell with a guard standing watch.

He was a prisoner- that much was fairly obvious. The strange smell came from a corner in the cell, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. His body felt heavy, but he was uninjured which came as a relief. But the relief was quickly replaced by a stormy moodset.

He did attack those demacians but not without reason- they had attacked first. And if he knew humans, they were all filthy liars who twisted the tale to get him stuck in a cemented, dirty cell.

In the middle of his thoughts, and odd feeling awoke, a sudden twist in his heart, which made him realize something was missing.

He glanced right and left, and was immediately distressed to find Gnar was not with him. He quickly got up, only to regret his decision as his head swayed. Still he continued moving forward, grabbing the guard's clothing to get his attention. The guard, in turn, gave a look of surprise and fear. "Hey, where's the kid?"

"The yordle? He was in the children's playroom…," he trailed off as Rengar slumped back, dizziness finally getting the best of him.

"Get me out of here, I need to find him," the feline looked up, looking directly into the scared guard's eyes, letting him know that he was serious. Who knows what they did with the kid. He didn't know whether or not it was safe to leave Gnar in the hands of such untrustworthy people, but if no one was running around screaming that meant he was not in a fit of rage- or not here. He frowned at the thought and pushed it away.

The guard, knowing that the prisoner was still being affected by the after effects of the sedative that was given, still felt a sense of weariness. "I can call someone… but I'm just here to watch you."

There was a sound of the prison door opening and he turned his head to see several high ranking officers watching the situation.

"That won't be necessary. Get him out and don't forget to cuff him," one of them said, a female. Her striking blonder hair and pretty face did little to ease the strict expression her face had.

The guard nodded and hurriedly opened the gate before cuffing Rengar and assisting him out the prison. The feline leaned heavily into him, and he struggled to keep straight with the extra bulk.

"Take him to the main room. Jarvan wants to meet him."

"Was there not a meeting happening earlier?"

"Are you questioning your orders, officer?"

"No, of course not. I just-,"

"Then do as you are told." She turned her head towards Rengar, eyes with a steely glint. "I will see you there, cat."

…

Gnar was restless. He fidgeted repeatedly in Nidalee's arms, until the huntress stopped walking and gave in with a sigh and asked, "What's wrong, Gnar?"

The nurse stopped as well, watching them with a light curiousity.

He moved around some more, attempting to get out from huntress' hold. She put him down, before crouching to his eye level. "Need something?" He shook his head, and took her hand instead.

"Guess he wanted to be a big man," the nurse said with a laugh.

Nidalee smiled, continuing their walk. They were near a large set of double doors. No, large was simply underestimating it. It was massive, enough space for a giant. "And that's where we're going?"

The nurse nodded. "The room was occupied earlier as the higher ups were having a meeting, but the issue should be cleared up by now."

That explained why it was so quiet before. It did not explain why the place was so empty though, and Nidalee could not help but wonder what was happening to keep the area so clear. As they neared, the doors opened, revealing two yordles. One very familiar purple skinned female and her companion.

Lulu and Tristana.

Gnar gave a delightful shout, before launching himself at the unsuspecting yordle. They landed, Lulu giving off an 'oof!' before she actually got a chance to see her assailant.

"Dewdrop! What are you doing here? And miss huntress too! Where's kitty?" She looked around, her green eyes watching for Rengar, and was surprised that he wasn't there.

Nidalee shook her head, "That's what we came here for. We're hoping that they can let us get him back." She frowned. "No, wait. We were captured, but for some reason Gnar and I were not detained. So Rengar is the one stuck somewhere he doesn't want to be."

"Ah, I had heard that a few people were brought from the jungle. Didn't think it would be you guys," Tristana said, giving a pitying smile.

The nurse looked back and forth between them, "You know each other?"

Tristana nodded. "We met recently, but Lulu was with them for a while."

They were stopped abruptly when a command was heard. "Move out the way!"

They looked around, to see several officers walking towards the doors, with Rengar trailing behind.

 **A/N: Ayyy, who's still here? I'm in my last few weeks of my final year of high school and I hope to be done with finals soon. I hope this explains my absence.**

 **Happy spooky Halloween!**


	11. Foreboding

The group watched the officers move towards the main room. One of them held herself with a sense of authority, eyes steely with conviction, blonde hair cut just above her shoulders. Nidalee guessed she was in charge.

She tensed once she realized Rengar was cuffed and heavily leaning against a guard who was halfway carrying the feline. He did not look to have any injuries, so what was wrong with him?

Then it clicked. Of course! The same thing they shot her with, but he must've been shot more. She frowned as he tried to hold his head up, but he seemed relieved once he saw Gnar unharmed and well.

Gnar made a sound of confusion as he watched his caretaker being dragged into the double doors. Nidalee realised it was the first time Gnar was witnessing Rengar in such a state. What kind of thoughts could the little yordle think of about his hero? She moved her eyes from Gnar back to Rengar as he disappeared into the room. The child was with him when he got shot, he probably understood what was wrong with Rengar but it didn't stop the child from looking worried.

An official from inside the meeting room looked outside and was not surprised to see Nidalee. "The King requests your presence as well, my lady." Nidalee exchanged looks with the rest of the group, but nodded in acceptance.

"Can I come too?" Lulu asked, hope lacing her words. The official gave a forced smile and shook his head. She pouted and was about to say something when the blonde woman from earlier stepped out and ushered them all in, bar the nurse.

"You know these people well, yordle. Perhaps this might involve you as well," she said, glancing at the two yordles who exchanged a look and turned around to go back inside.

Tristana looked worried as she, once again, entered the main room. She liked Lulu, she really did, but the sorceress was really nosy and she felt like this was really not something they should be involved with.

The room itself was massive, with a grand large table in the middle of the room. Around it were many chairs. As they entered Nidalee noticed a man who stood at the end with two bodyguards on either side. "Bow before King Jarvan!" The official scolded.

This was their king then. He had the look of someone who was extremely tired. The huntress couldn't imagine running a large city was easy, but she felt it was not due to that reason that the man looked so haggard. She bowed low, Gnar copying her and nearly falling over, and she stifled a laugh.

The guards with Rengar saluted and left the room, leaving the feline grasping onto anything nearby for assistance.

"Please, have a seat, there are important topics to discuss," King Jarvan said, arms moving towards the empty chairs, an apologetic smile on his face as he observed the struggling hunter.

Nidalee sat between Rengar and Lulu with Gnar on her lap. Opposite them sat Tristana, the blonde officer and the official. Around the table were several other unfamiliar faces, a well built brown haired male with a more petite blonde girl who was talking to him. Left of her was another woman with short cut hair with a badge in the shape of a bird on the chest. Nidalee gasped observing the next woman, her eyes burned a bright amber and her skin was blue. On the far end of the table, King Jarvan sat, face creased with stress.

"Firstly, I would like to apologise for the rough treating my men have used against you. It was not part of our plan for violence," He gave a sorry smile. "But, I have recently acquired a new commander, Miss Steele" he gestured to the blonde officer who stood up with a bow before sitting down again.

"While her work ethic is flawless, safety was her first concern when dispatching our soldiers to the jungle. This, unfortunately, lead to your situation. Adding to the fact that they were uneasy over what they were looking for, it's really no wonder."

Nidalee eyed him curiously, "So what were they looking for, your majesty?"

"We'll get to that soon. For now, you may need a bit of background on what we already know." He cleared his throat before continuing. "For some time now there have been strange sightings and disappearances, civilian and high ranking officers, or nobility. Before, this was no cause for alarm. People get lost or disappear, it happens whether we want it to or not," He shook his head warily. "But this time, more and more people were disappearing without a trace.

"The one thing that was common to most of them is that they were last heard of going somewhere out in the jungles, forests or otherwise open areas somewhat far from the city. By ourselves, we had not found a single one.

"Recently, it seemed as though the issue was not just a problem here, but to Piltover as well. One of their teams have discovered a well hidden area that was a cause for panic. A nest of void creatues, although it was almost completely abandoned, save for the few, what looked to be abandoned, spawn.

"In that area were sac-like obstacles, filled with items ranging from stolen goods, to dead animals, " he breathed, gazing at each of the listeners. "What was most surprising was that some of the missing people were found in these sacs. Some mutilated to the point where it was nearly impossible to tell who it was, others hardly harmed, but still dead inside the sacs.

"Of course, Piltover made contact immediately and we have been searching for more areas like these for more ideas on what to do. They created a hextech item to track down void traces, using what was inside the sacs.

He eyed Nidalee and Rengar before continuing, "Those traces lead straight to the jungle."

Nidalee frowned taking in all the information, "We have not seen anything. This is strange, but the jungle critters have been tense and quiet for some time now. However, I could never find what was causing these issues."

Rengar was strangely silent, pensive in his seat.

"I am not too surprised, to be honest with you. Our group sent to the jungle have not found anything either, although some members have disappeared. There was a place with much stronger signals, a marsh to the north of Demacia. We were rallying a troop to go and find out what was causing those signals."

"About your men, they may have ventured too far into the groves. An extremely powerful entity who controls most of the jungle lives there and sees humans as food." The King's eyes widened, but he nodded, storing the information for later. "But what does that have to do with us?" Nidalee continued.

"We require assistance. You are able to lead and be an example of how to survive areas like this. Besides that, if we find out what is happening here, we may be able to stop this threat entirely before the jungle is in danger. The signal there is strong, but it is like a flickering candle compared to the ones in the marsh. It is definitely a sign of alarm."

Nidalee glanced at Rengar who was watching her. He was uncertain of what to do. On the one hand, if he said no and left he wouldnt have to deal with these humans and their issues, but it would soon affect the jungle, and possibly Gnar. On the other hand if he _did_ end up helping them they would be able to clear out the threats, but it might be risky considering they knew next to nothing of void creatures. His scar on his eye ached as his thought drifted to the bug-like creature that took his eye.

He growled, his expression darkening. He hated these kind of situations.

"Give us the night to think about it," he said finally. Jarvan pondered this for a moment before nodding his head.

"The group heading for the marshes leaves in three days. You have until then to make up your minds, but an earlier answer would be suitable for plans and such." He stood up, "  
"Ah, but before you leave, I believe introductions would be important if you wish to take part in the task."

He gestured to the brown haired man and the blonde. "This is Garen Crownguard and Lux Crownguard, high ranking officers of the army. Next to them is Quinn, one of our best scouts and infiltrators. Shyvana is next to her, our very own kind of dragon. My son, unfortunately is not here at this time, but he will be leading the party to the marshes."

"What about us?" Lulu piped up from her seat. "Tristana will have to leave for home soon, but I still have to stay here for a while. Could I go too?"

"Unfortunately, no. The issues you have created are still troublesome. While the children are cured, they still have other problems that you must deal with."

The sorceress pouted, disappointed that she wouldn't be able to go out an a super adventure, but nodded anyway.

"I have arranged rooms for all of you, so please, get a good rest and I will wait for your answer when you are ready."

Everyone stood up from their seats and slowly left the room. Nidalee and Rengar were both quiet, thinking about their decisions and if it truly was worth it. If they did go, would it be wise to take Gnar with? He was still a child and while his skills were impressive, void creatures had their own tricks and could easily catch even a grown man off guard. His other form could be useful, but it was much too dangerous when he wasn't able to control his own actions. He could end up hurting the other party members and then they might put him down for their own safety.

Nidalee squeezed the yordle tighter at the thought of them killing him, much to his dismay and he voiced his unhappiness with various lines of nonsense. She smiled and loosened her grip on him, but it didn't stop the stream of sentences. They started following a guard who was in charge of leading them to their rooms. Lulu and the others had all split off to their respective rooms.

One thing that bothered her, however, was that the void creatures were collecting people, but for what reason? Why not just eat or use or whatever else they did with their prey? In different far-off locations no-less, as well as the inconsistencies in the overall state of the victims, some being mutilated and others not. It didn't add up and she was sure she couldn't be the only one who thought this. There had to be something they were missing, and she supposed and hoped that the marshes could give an answer that she wanted to know. Of course, it could just be something that void creatures did, but from what she heard they were intellectual creatures who did not only rely on animal instinct but actual thought processes. That threw her theory into the water. Another thing that was food for thought were that the areas were abandoned, Why? Was there something that drove them out or did they just choose to relocate. Questions, questions, but she needed answers.

"What do you think about this?" Rengar suddenly asked her, stopping her thoughts. She looked at him, "This is quite a strange predicament, but if we do nothing then our home would be in danger." Rengar seemed to have some of his strength returned as he walked much easier than before, she noted with relief. "Nothing seems to make sense either. I can't think of a reason why they would want to do this."

"So you want to go?" He watched her facial expressions go from thoughtful to surprised to determined in the span of a few seconds. He already knew from the beginning she would want to go. Her love of adventure and exploration would warrant that, living in a jungle and all. He didn't hold it against her, though. He understood why, because to him nothing made much sense to him either. There was either something the King wasn't telling them, or they really just didn't know what was happening. And with Rengar's experience with humans, it was never the lack of things.

"I do. I want to find out what is causing all of this or what is happening," the huntress answered him. "What worries me, though, is what we're going to do with Gnar. I think it's too dangerous to take him along. We don't know what we could be up against and it could get us in trouble. We won't be able to look out for him all the time." Said yordle had fallen asleep in Nidalee's arms, softly snoring and muttering occasionally.

Rengar mulled this over for a few seconds. The warning Pix, Lulu's companion, gave echoed in his head about keeping Gnar safe from the void. He let out a heavy breath. "You're right. He would be too much of a hindrance." And idea flashed into his head suddenly. "As much as it pains me to say this, what about Lulu? I heard she said she would be staying for a while longer."

Nidalee raised her eyebrow at the idea. "Really? You actually would leave him with her?" He shrugged.

"The kid seems to genuinely like her, and she wouldn't harm him. They might cause a few headaches for these people, but if we're not here that won't be our problem."

Nidalee chuckled at the image, and she had to agree. She didn't think Lulu was 100% sane, but she would definitely look out for Gnar. "Alright, we can ask her about it in the morning, although I don't think she would have a problem with it."

They reached their rooms, guest rooms with the bare minimum of a bed and little cabinet, albeit high quality crafts. They separated for their night's rest, and while in an unfamiliar place, after a bit of tossing and turning they were soon able to fall asleep from their exhaustion.

 **A/N: I am potato.**

 **ALSO, I LOVE YOU GUYS, your reviews even when I'm gone for a while makes me so happy c: We also reached 100 followers, which is awesome. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years, guys 3**


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